Why Choose Us? Marketing The Unique Benefits Of Your Institution

With over 5,300 colleges and universities in the United States today, standing out to prospective students is more challenging than ever. Most students apply to four to eight different colleges and getting on this application shortlist means you have to effectively communicate and get the prospective student to care about and believe in your institution’s unique value propositions.

But how do you identify and articulate what makes your institution special? Without a clear, genuine value proposition, your marketing efforts can become costly and ineffective. Organizations with lofty, ambiguous claims often find themselves spending significantly more to get noticed, while those lacking a solid value proposition struggle to make an impact and attract the right students. 

Let's explore strategies for marketing the unique benefits of your institution to attract and retain students.

Understanding Your Unique Value Proposition

A unique value proposition (UVP) is a clear statement that shows how you solve students' problems, the benefits of your institution, and what distinguishes you from competitors. A strong UVP should address the following:

• Relevance: How does your institution address the specific needs and desires of prospective students?
• Value: What benefits do students gain from choosing your institution?
• Uniqueness: What makes your institution different from others?

In higher education, a well-defined UVP can be the deciding factor for students choosing between similar programs. It helps to build trust, enhance perception, and improve engagement with your prospective students.

How To Identify Your Unique Value Proposition

Before you can effectively market your institution, you need to clearly define what sets it apart. Your unique value proposition is the combination of features and benefits that make your school the ideal choice for your target students. To identify your UVP:

1. Understand your audience: Who are your prospective students and what do they value most? Consider factors like academic rigor, affordability, location, or extracurricular offerings. Additionally, recognize that the industry is shifting, with an increasing number of nontraditional students seeking higher education opportunities. Highlighting online programs and flexible learning options can appeal to working professionals, adult learners, and other nontraditional students who prioritize convenience and accessibility.
2. Analyze your strengths: What does your institution excel at? This could be academic programs, distinguished faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, research opportunities, campus culture, career outcomes, and more.
3. Evaluate the competition: Understand how your institution compares to others, but don’t feel pressured to be entirely novel or extraordinary. Instead, identify areas where you can excel or offer something different, even if it's just in a different or better way than others. Your UVP should be crafted with a clear understanding of the competitive landscape, but its primary goal is to highlight your institution's strengths and benefits effectively. Adapt your UVP with this knowledge in mind to position your brand more compellingly and distinctively, rather than solely focusing on what others are doing. 
4. Gather feedback: Survey current students, alumni, and faculty to understand what they perceive as your institution's key differentiators. This feedback not only helps you validate your perceived strengths but also uncover other insights you might not have thought about.

Once you've identified your UVP, distill it into a clear, concise statement that encapsulates why students should choose your institution.

Crafting Your Higher Education Marketing Messaging

Once your UVP is defined, it's time to develop messaging that effectively communicates your unique benefits. Your higher education marketing messaging should:

1. Be authentic: Don't try to be something you're not. Focus on genuine strengths and values.
2. Be specific: Avoid generic claims. You need a clear message that people can remember and associate with your brand.
3. Address pain points: Show how your institution solves problems or fulfills the needs of prospective students.
4. Highlight outcomes: Emphasize the tangible benefits of choosing your institution, such as career prospects or alumni success stories.
5. Use emotional appeal: Connect with prospective students on an emotional level by showcasing your campus culture and community, as well as your impact.

Remember, effective messaging isn't just about what you say, but how you say it. Tailor your tone and language to resonate with each of your target audiences.

Leverage Multiple Channels

To maximize the impact of your messaging, utilize a multi-channel approach:

1. Website: Your institution's website is often the first point of contact for prospective students. Ensure your UVP is front and center on your homepage and woven throughout key pages.
2. Social media: Use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn to showcase your unique campus life, academic programs, and student success stories.
3. Email marketing: Develop targeted email campaigns that highlight specific aspects of your UVP to different segments of your prospective student audience.
4. Virtual tours and events: Offer immersive online experiences that allow students to experience your campus culture, or for online colleges, experience life as a student firsthand.
5. Print materials: Create brochures, viewbooks, and other print collateral that reinforce your key messaging and visually represent your brand.

Measure And Refine The Effectiveness Of Your UVP

Marketing your institution's unique benefits is an ongoing process. While refining your UVP and messaging can lead to significant improvements, it’s important to recognize that seeing tangible impacts may take time. Setting realistic expectations and level-setting with stakeholders within your organization is crucial for maintaining alignment and patience throughout this process. 

Regularly assess the effectiveness of your messaging and adjust as needed:

1. Track key metrics: Monitor a range of metrics to assess the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. Key metrics include application rates, enrollment numbers, lead-to-application conversion rates, and application-to-enrollment conversion rates. Additionally, track brand lift, reach and engagement, unique site visitors, and the impact of direct outreach and nurturing initiatives. For a deeper dive into measuring what matters, refer to our blog on Cracking the ROI Code: Measure What Matters in Higher Education Marketing.
2. Gather feedback: Conduct surveys and focus groups with prospective and current students to understand how your messaging resonates.
3. Stay current: Regularly review and update your UVP and messaging to ensure they remain relevant in a changing higher education landscape.
4. Test and optimize: Use A/B testing to refine your messaging and improve its impact across different channels.

By clearly defining and effectively communicating your institution's unique value proposition, you can stand out in a crowded marketplace and attract students who are the best fit for your college or university. Remember, authenticity is key — focus on what truly makes your institution special, and let that shine through in all your marketing efforts.

Ready to build a stronger brand and marketing strategy for your higher education institution? Learn more about our Build™ solution and how we can help you effectively communicate your unique value proposition to prospective students.